85 comments:

I mostly picked this because I used to see the box for it all the time at the local VHS rental place but never watched it. It's a Nazi Zombie movie that's perfectly ok, with nothing really outstanding about it aside from John Carradine and Peter Cushing in small roles. The kills aren't particularly interesting and the zombie makeup is kinda ok when you can actually see them but a lot of the time you don't really get a good look at them.

Probably doesn't really count as exploitation but it's a fantastic movie I haven't seen in years so wanted to revisit. Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier give great performances, Peck as the sinister, evil Nazi scientist with a plan to resurrect the Third Reich and Olivier as the aging Nazi hunter trying to unlock the secrets of the Nazi plot.

Using real-life characters and events along with some invented ones (because #Dramaticlicensexploitation!), Singer and co-writer Christopher McQuarrie (who stuck around with Tom Cruise afterwards) manage somehow to make the predictable outcome of the plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944 tense and compelling. Like a good heist movie (which "Valkyrie" is except with a human target as the ultimate prize), the hardships and highs the "good guys" endure are tempered in the audience's mind with the knowledge things will unravel at any moment. And who better to direct "Valkyrie" that the man that gave us Magneto's concentration camp flashback in "X-Men" and a Nazi-living-among-us fairy tale "Apt Pupil"?

Like some of Tom Cruises' most underrated dramatic work ("Vanilla Sky," "Lions for Lambs," etc.) "Valkyrie" is an ensemble acting tour de force masquerading as a star vehicle. Branagh, Wilkinson, Nighy, Stamp, Izzard, van Houten, Kretschmann, Bamber (whose Hitler speaking in English is just weird)... just one British acting heavyweight after another, all backing Cruise acting his heart out to try and save his then-plummeting stardom. Nazisploitation doesn't get more mainstream and 'PG-13' friendly than this and every other "Indiana Jones" movie.

I have always had a soft spot for Mel Brooks. If you don't like a joke wait a beat because there will be another. It's a Nazi spy farce set during the Nazi occupation of Poland, a troupe of actors and general shenanigans It was a lot more darker than I thought it would be - there are real stakes in this movie. As well as every left over joke from the producers, 'Heil Myself', though I loved everytime they would call back to jokes, mirroring them creating a really entertaining farce. Anne Bancroft was brilliant and Charles Durning trying to sit suductively on a desk is just delightful!!!

This one was discussed here a few days ago, so I thought it would be a great idea to rewatch this for Nazisploitation.And again, I had a great time watching this crazy mix of comedy, war and heist movie. There are not that many Nazis around but hey, who needs more Nazis when you have Eastwood, Sutherland and Savalas clearly having a lot of fun making this with director Brian G. Hutton while hearing the great score by Lalo Schifrin.I don´t know how many times I have seen this over the years, but surely this won´t be the last time.

A bunch of women are put on a train full of Nazi soldiers to entertain them and boost their morale. Really, they are actually there to see which of them are resistance sympathizers. When the lead woman's (played by a good-lookin' Malisa Longo) boyfriend arrives as an interpreter, things go to crap. This movie had it's moments, and some attractive women, but it moved a little slow. There was also some old war footage crammed in there that did nothing to add to it and seemed a little out of place. Also, it seemed to end rather abruptly. I can't give this one a real high recommend.

I am still processing this movie. Directed by Michael Mann, Nazis occupy a medevial keep deep in the bowls of Romania and start pulling apart stuff that should be left alone. This is a deliberatly paced dream like movie, with the most 80s score I have ever come across. It did take me a while to get into this movie, untill I just let it wash over me, and I still don't know if it is a good thing for bad. Truth is, in terms of Mann I have only seen Heat, so I don't know how this fits in over all. But the movie does have an interesting Ian McKeller performance.

This is definitely an outlier in the Mann canon (Mannon). You should check out Thief and Manhunter if you are interested in his style and sensibilities. He's one of my favorite directors so I feel you really can't go wrong with any of his movies.

Hehe Mannon. This movie is sticking with me, this morning its all I can think about, whether last night I was more huh? There is this precise quality to each shot, its really envloping. But I will check out Manhunter and I am pretty sure I have Thief on some que. Thanks!

It's odd, it only follows the book tangentially.. nazi's keep creature then it goes in a whole unexplainable direction, and draws on a completely new mythology. the performances are pretty spectacular for what is such a genre film. When it was in the theater i think i saw it 3 times. i even paid to have my vhs ripped to dvd.

Yeah, the people who complain that no matter what decision Indy makes it still doesn't affect the outcome are missing the point - you're watching a F-ing Indiana Jones movie because you want to watch INDIANA JONES!

Seemingly a rogue historian has decided to influence a planet's cultural development by introducing the ideas and ideals of Nazi Germany to them. Naturally, Kirk and Spock have to save the day.

The takeaway from the episode seems to be that Nazi Germany was the most efficient society in human history (and it must be true, because Spock says so). No wonder they banned the episode in Germany and only showed it in the 1990's for the first time.

Re: Patterns of Force - That whole thing about the Nazi state being "efficient but brutal" is a myth that has been ably debunked by historians such as Robert Evans and Ian Kershaw. In reality the Third Reich was incredibly inefficient, which contributed to their ultimate downfall. Despite this error (by Spock no less!) I like this episode a lot. Spock's crack about Kirk making a "most convincing Nazi" together with Kirk's reaction is great.

I watched with a friend, we was noticing all the times the John Williams score kicked in as Indy was kicking ass and a perfect joke formed itself, I laughed with this image in my head for the rest of the film, Picture the shot, Indy was collecting his kisses from Marion, you know the scene, he was telling her where to kiss him, on the elbow, eye, forehead, then lips, then he pointed at his Dick! Marion slipped slowly downwards out of shot, Indy put his hands behind his head with that knowing smirk he does so well, The John Williams score kicks in.... I'm still chuckling now

As to Indy not affecting the plot of Raiders I would be behind that save for the one fact that if Indy had not been chosen by the government to get the ark he wouldn't of gone to meet Marion to get the top of the staff thus the nazis would have continued to dig in the wrong place. It didn't seem like bald nazi and his gang had any other leads on the staff piece until they tracked Indy to Marion's bar.

Actually Peter David once made that observation. He felt the story ended with Belloq and the rest melting and the ark sitting bereft on the island. At least Indy saw to it that someone knows where it is.

I have not seen this movie yet. I'm aware of it and have watched a trailer on youtube. It looks more like a Fulci film than any of the films I've watched of Michael Mann. I feel as though taking the time to process an Italian horror film is common for a newbie in the genre. It intrigues me to see that this film feels so similar to that.

Sequel to Dead Snow aims more for goofy than scary, which works surprisingly well. The movie's plot is the kind of gory, goopy craziness that could only be dreamed up by someone truly demented - or by a 10-year-old boy. One disappointment is that the Russian zombies don't figure in the story (or even the finale) nearly as much as I was hoping. However, the "Zombie Squad" is entertaining enough to warrant their own movie. Indeed, has anyone tried making a Ghostbusters for Zombies flick?

Watched this one too. Thoroughly enjoyed it. No one is safe - men, women, children, the elderly, the disabled - yet, it's not violence for the sake for violence and to be edgy. It's having fun with the genre. Many laughs and another new and interesting take on the zombie movie. Also, lots of dead Nazis, which is a good thing.

Most likely due to time travel, Adolf Hitler has dropped into the year 2015. His reaction to the Germany of the 21st Century gets him noticed by an amateur filmmaker keen on making his big break. Hitler becomes his documentary project -- he films Hitler questioning Germans about society and politics, even drawing caricatures in the town square! This brings them both to a tv network, whose female head of programming catches the Fuhrer’s eye. I can understand telling Hitler’s story, or telling stories about WWII. But this… this movie is just plain insane. It's provocative, controversial, and pretty damn funny. Sometimes I was so surprised at what I was seeing, I couldn't even laugh. I was just transfixed, flabbergasted.

I read the book a few years back. And it has that same vibe - which is why I am a little wary of watching the movie, but it is in my que. In the book he is a YouTube sensation with these insanely racist rants. The book goes very very dark, so I would like to see how the movie compares.

I don't know what my problem is, but I can almost never get into a war film. Almost without exception (Tarantino's film of the same name is one such exception). I really don't know why, and I would love to get to the bottom of it someday. This movie is good. I can't point to anything wrong with it. But just like with most every other war movie, I didn't really connect with it. However, I did like it more than most of its genre, mostly due to the great characters.

I own this one and find the vibe very fun. I recently saw Taratino's one on the big screen at the BFI Southbank, it is truely exceptional. It is so smart, layered, full of life and character as well as finely edited. I can see why this is ab exception.

RED NIGHTS OF THE GESTAPO (1977) The Nazis treat women like garbage for two hours. Yeah, the sex scenes are wacky and absurd, but the huge amount of Nazi rhetoric has me fearing the filmmakers are just a little too into this stuff. Watching this made me feel gross. That’s probably the point, but still.

THE BEAST IN HEAT (1977) Now, here’s a movie that knows how dumb this stuff is and runs with it. Total sleaze all the way, but with a “monster movie” subplot added into the mix. These torture scenes go to some horrifyingly extreme places, though, so what begins as an intentionally dumb movie becomes an endurance test.

PRIVATE HOUSE OF THE SS (1977) The Nazis force a bunch of women into slavery to… forget it. The filmmakers just wanted an excuse to throw naked lady parties. Yeah, there’s some bit of satire involving a “Nazi pope,” but, really, it’s all about the naked lady parties.

Not exploitation, but still one of the best movies I've seen this month. Expert tension, fantastic performances (Roy Scheider is the best thing about everything he touches. So good!), intricate plotting...it's practically an anti-Junesploitation movie in that it requires the viewer to pay attention and keep up with the story as it unfolds.

In a movie populated by Nazis and hitmen, who knew that a dentist would be the scariest presence? Sure, he's a Nazi dentist, but still...yikes!

I have not seen this in ages and have wanted to revisit it. I still remember that demon dentist performance from Larry. It has popped up on a British streaming service online and if it is still there I might try get to it soon.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)- Still a ways away from being my favorite Tarantino movie, but every viewing of this one makes me admire it more and more. Now more than any other time I've watched it, I appreciate that every little periphery character counts, and the dialogue only becomes more engrossing as time goes on.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)- Still a ways away from being my favorite Tarantino movie, but every viewing of this one makes me admire it more and more. Now more than any other time I've watched it, I appreciate that every little periphery character counts, and the dialogue only becomes more engrossing as time goes on.

Triumph of the Will (1935, dir. Leni Reifenstahl, on DVD) – First Time Viewing: Not really an exploitation film (or is it the ultimate exploitation film?), this propaganda documentary was filmed in Nuremberg in 1935 during a week-long celebration of the rise of the Nazi party. What an unbelievably chilling spectacle. Seeing these monsters pontificate and gesticulate to admiring hordes is surreal. It’s hard to believe this really happened and the atrocious results this would lead to. Unforgettable (4 out of 5 Griers).

You'd think it would be better coming from the man upstairs. I feel like they're trying in this movie. I tried to follow it but then I gave up. It's something about searching for treasure but the zombies have it. I guess they're Nazis as well. I did see a Nazi symbol. I'm going to pronounce it nay-zees from now on. See if it catches on.

The Producers (2005): Well, I am not a fan of the original, despite it being deemed a classic comedy by some, so surprsingly I have seen this one more times than its predecessor. Although it is messily put together and it feels like you are watching a theatre proudction the cast is really putting a huge of amount of effort into it, which gives the film a certain charm despite its flaws.

If you google 'Naziploitation films', the very first result is this excellent article by David Flint, mapping out for you a timeline of this genre's development. I've seen the Ilsa series, and a handful of random others, but am largely a newbie to the genre, so I decided to start with what the article suggests is its first 'true' entry, which I was surprised was an American film: Love Camp 7. Viewed in such a context, Camp is a truly groundbreaking motion picture. If Night of the Living Dead was the germ that led to the phenomenon that was Dawn of the Dead, which in turn led to the explosion of Italian zombie pictures following Fulci's sequel to that movie... then Camp is the Night of the Living Dead for the Nazisploitation genre, paving the path for the first Ilsa movie, whose own exploitation led to the Italian Salon Kitty, and then that film's innumerable imitators. As the first of its kind, it creates all the precedents on which its genre will rely (the sadism, the sexuality, the bad, bad taste...) and has its own peculiar, and to my knowledge, uncommon wrinkle that made it a genuinely effective piece of narrative for me: the prisoners in this Nazi movie are American spies, voluntarily infiltrating the prison to break out a valuable captive. As competent professionals knowingly sacrificing themselves to terrible humiliation toward the benefit overcoming a larger conflict, it made a great deal of narrative sense to focus so fetishistically on the torment they undergo; the story becomes a passion play about women giving up absolutely every personal dignity in service to a greater good. This idea is even driven home by a flash-to-the-present day surprise moment in the last scene of the movie. If nothing else can speak to my own enjoyment of the movie, at the very least I can say I was shocked by how quickly it flew by. I didn't happen to glance up and notice how far into its runtime I was until well past an hour in, which is something I typically happen to do at something closer to forty-five minutes in to anything. An under-appreciated, stone cold classic (and on top of everything else, one of the official 37 UK DPP Video Nasties.) Trailer.

Goodness gracious. Once again, I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't the Buñuellian missing link between Last Tango in Paris and In the Realm of the Senses. Does this movie compare masculinity/femininity with Nazism/Judaism? I don't know, man. I think this might've gone over my head.

While I fully believe Raiders to be the best of the Indy films I think Last Crusade may be the easiest one to watch kinda like how Casino Royale is an easier watch for me although Skyfall is the better Bond film. My only issue with this movie might be that they go for the laugh a little too much ("The pen is mightier then the sword") That being said a classy way to spend Nazisploitation day as well as early Fathersdaysploitation and it's also a great way to end the Indiana Jones series as no other films were made after this one.

Wow. Everything about this movie is perfect. Every single moment. Its laugh out loud funny, the effects look amazing, Chaplin is a genius. And the ending...when you consider that the movie came out in 1940, the barber's speech...it completely destroyed me. Holy crap this movie is good.

(Ahem) A lake in France suddenly has Nazi zombies rising up to kill people. The film opens with a long sequence of a woman stripping and swimming in the zombie lake before getting eaten. Then the mayor of the town tells a reporter the story of how the lake became infected (with an incredibly detailed sex scene for it being a town legend). To top that we get a scene where a women's basketball team all strip and swim in the lake before being killed. Finally, the zombies come out and kill everyone in the town. Except for the one zombie that tracks down his young daughter? Nothing in this movie makes sense, and it's also in French. I recounted most of the plot because this is a terrible movie that just might be the worst zombie film I have ever seen. Don't let my poor review deter you, it's an experience to watch.

Went with the no-brainer decision to check out the quintessential Nazisploitation flick. Dyanne Thorne is stunning, much of the torture takes place off screen and is left to the viewer's imagination, and the makeup effects - when showcased - are great considering the budget (it was filmed on the set of Hogan's Heroes, turned over to the producers to reduce demolition costs!). Its sleazy as all get out and the pacing is excruciating, with next to no camp (let alone redeeming) value to keep it afloat. At the very least I can now say that I have seen it.

Wow you were all right! This movie is everything the original isn't. It was incredibly entertaining the whole way through (even if a little brutal at times). It's actually really funny, it has memorable characters, and I cared at all about what was happening. This might be a movie I actually go back and rewatch which is surprising.

The Boys from Brazil (1978, Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner)A rewatch on this one but a thoroughly entertaining movie even with the absurd premise. Off putting to see Gregory Peck as a villain, and its wonderful watching the rest of the thespian level cast ham it up including Olivier and Mason. By thespian I probably should exclude Steve Guttenberg...maybe.

I couldn't be bothered for a serious film, so went with Iron Sky, the Nazi's escaped to the dark side of the moon in 1945 and in 2018 some Americans have landed there! What'll happen?! This film is absolutely ridiculous but there is some fun to be had with it, especially some great whiteface from a black actor, can't beat it!